During a severe heatwave in West Bengal, Lopamudra Sinha, a news anchor with Doordarshan’s West Bengal branch, collapsed while delivering a live broadcast. Sinha shared her health ordeal on Facebook after the incident.

In a translated video statement, Sinha said, “My blood pressure suddenly dropped while I was live on air, leading me to faint. I’d been feeling unwell but hoped drinking water would help. Typically, I signal the floor manager for water during news breaks. However, during that broadcast, with no soundbites, I couldn’t get any water until a brief break.”

She continued, “I tried to continue with the news but felt worse during a segment on the heatwave. My vision blurred, the teleprompter faded, and I blacked out.”

Panagarh in West Burdwan district recorded the highest temperature in the state at 42.5°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘severe heatwave’ alert for South Bengal, with temperatures expected to rise further.

Several areas including Dum Dum, Midnapore, Bankura, Salt Lake, Canning, Kalikunda, Burdwan, Asansol, Purulia, Jhargram, and Balurghat have reported temperatures above 40°C.

Responding to the extreme heat, the West Bengal government declared an early summer break for all state-run schools starting from April 22.